Do I need Legal Registration?

Hello all,
I'm 15 and currently have a small neighborhood lawn business with about 10 weekly accounts. It's just me And my brother who is 13. Right now we walk our equipment in a wagon and ride the mower to our accounts. However, for next year I will have a drivers license so I am thinking about getting a trailer and expanding our business. I will only be 16 so will I still be able to operate under the lawn? When am I going to have to go legal with everything and get business license or whatever else? We are located in Northern virginiaPosted via Mobile Device

My reply isn't meant to be as crass as I know it will come across, so I hope you don't take it that way. But asking for legal advice on an internet forum is just asking for trouble.

Call an attorney in your town and I'm sure he'll guide you in the right direction over the phone and won't even charge you.

I suspect that he will advise you to get a city business license. Here's a huge bonus for you. Ask your parents' insurance agent if liability is automatically extended to you. Most (not all) homeowners policies provide coverage for children operating a part-time business venture - but be sure to check their policy specifically.

Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it until you're older. You can then see if you're going to stay in the business or not.

It would take a heartless official (person) to try to make you run your business like it was larger and you were older. If you did run across someone who takes his job a little too seriously, I'm pretty sure at this point in your life they wouldn't do anything more than to tell you what you need to do to be absolutely legal.

Most people (authorities) would be impressed that you and your brother were out doing manual labor trying to make "honest money" instead of doing something like stealing or selling drugs....especially in this day and time.

What you and your brother are doing is exactly how I got started in business myself.....a little over 50 years ago!